The Bairds of : Gartsherrie

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Bairds of Gartsherrie: page 2.

John Baird 3rd Generation

Two years after the date of this lease namely, in 1766 Alexander Baird died at High Cross, and was succeeded in his farms by his eldest son, John Baird. At the time of his father's death, John Baird was in the occupation, under his father, of the lands of Kirkwood, and had been so for some years previously; and he continued in the same possession till the time of his own death in 1798.
After the death of Alexander Baird, John appears to have held, under his father's lease, all the lands which had been held by the latter, his brother Robert possessing High Cross, and William possessing Woodhead, as his sub-tenants. This continued till 1786.
On the 4th of February in that year, John Baird obtained from the then proprietor, Colonel John Hamilton of Rosehall, afterwards of Orbiston, a renewal of the lease for a further period of nineteen years. The lands are described as "Kirkwood, High Cross, Woodhead, Waukmill, and Luggie Bridge, as the same were then possessed by him and his sub-tenants." This tack does not include the lands of Millhouse. In this and subsequent deeds John Baird continues to be designed as "farmer in Kirkwood."

John Baird married Ann Lawson, of the same family as Captain Lawson of Cuparhead. By their contract of marriage, dated 9th August, 1749, he provided and secured to her the sum of 400 merks Scots. She died before him, leaving no children.
By a will executed on 30th November, 1764, Ann Lawson left to her husband her whole means and estate, including the above 400 merks, under burden of certain pecuniary bequests and specific legacies to her brothers and sisters and others, including one to Margaret Kirkland of her "wedding gown." At that period the preservation of wedding gowns was very common. Mrs. Weir (Janet Baird) possesses now (1875) the wedding gown of her grandmother, Janet Craig.

Ann Lawson made a subsequent will on 19th January, 1768, which is interesting, from the simple and touching terms in which it is expressed; the language being evidently her own. It bears:- "Being at present in distress of body, but sound in "memory and judgment, considering with myself that for several "years past I have been in such affliction of body as not to be capable to do the smallest service for the utility of my "husband, but on the contrary have been a great burden and expense upon him, therefore for that reason "she bequeaths to him her whole property absolutely, unburdened with any bequests.

John Baird afterwards married Elizabeth Moffat, by whom he had one child, Elizabeth, born 1783. By a deed of settlement, dated 10th August, 1798, John Baird left all his property, except the lease of his farms, to this daughter, burdened with an annuity to her mother of 100 pounds Scots, with the possession, rent free, of a house at Woodhead " possessed by Robert Pettigrew." This was one of two small houses, or rather the one-half of a double house and garrets- the tenement having been apparently the only subject of which John Baird was absolute proprietor.

Houses at Woodhead

This house is still standing. A view of it is given in the accompanying plate- the entrance being the centre one of the three doors shown in the sketch. Mr. Alexander Baird, the father of the Gartsherrie brothers, built an addition to this house consisting of the portion in which are the farthest off door and window. The plate represents these houses as they were in his time. The place where the tree and hedge are is now occupied by recently built houses.

By the deed of settlement just mentioned, John Baird bequeaths legacies of £10 each to his nephews, John, son of William Baird, and John, son of Robert Baird; and he leaves the same' amount to his grand-nephew, "John Baird, son of Alexander Baird in Woodhead." This last was the late Mr. John Baird of Lochwood, then an infant of six months old. The testator also appointed his nephew, "Alexander Baird in Woodhead," with three others, to be curators to his daughter Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Baird married, in 1800, James Mochrie of Gordronan or Coudronan (his own property), by whom she had several children. She and her husband executed a deed on 4th June, 1801, discharging her curators. John Baird, the father of Elizabeth, died in September, 1798, and assuming the computation of his birth above mentioned to be correct, he would be then in his seventy-ninth year.

Robert Baird 3rd Generation

It will be necessary to return to this John Baird in noticing the family of his brother William; but before doing this, the third son of Alexander namely, Robert Baird may be disposed of.
The first time he is mentioned in any of the existing papers is in 1772. In the testament executed by Elizabeth Paterson in that year, he is designed as "in High Cross"; and in a deed of nomination of curators executed by his brother William in 1774 (to be afterwards mentioned) he is also designed as "in High Cross." This farm he no doubt held, as already mentioned, under his brother John, in whose lease from Mr. Hamilton of Rosehall it was included. He afterwards became tenant of the farm of Stan or Stand, in New Monkland, and subsequently he was in Woodend. In the settlement by John Baird in 1798 above mentioned, Robert's son John is designed as "son of the deceased Robert Baird in Woodend."

Robert Baird married Janet Thom of Gartverrie, on the Gartsherrie estate, and had two sons, John, born 16th November, 1777; and James, born 10th September, 1786- and three daughters, Janet, born;--- Ann, born 1775; and Agnes, born in 1784, besides another daughter Agnes, born in 1780, who died in infancy. Both of the sons, and also two of the daughters, married, and had issue. John, the eldest son, married Janet Cleland. Ann, one of the daughters, married Walter Thom. Janet married Robert Moffat in Langloan.

William Baird 3rd Generation

The second son of Alexander Baird was William Baird, the grandfather of the Gartsherrie brothers. The first deed in which he is mentioned is the agreement already referred to between him and his two brothers, and their stepmother, Elizabeth Paterson, in 1766; but neither in this, nor in the discharge which followed on it, is his residence stated.

In 1772 he was tenant in Woodhead, and he is so designed in the testament of Elizabeth Paterson, dated 13th February in, that year. This farm he must have possessed as sub-tenant of his brother John, as Robert in the same way occupied High Cross.
The date of William Baird's birth is not known. On the assumption made above that his brother John was born circa 1719, William may have been born about 1721. In a deed to be immediately noticed, executed in 1774, William speaks of himself as having "for sometime bygone been tender and infirm;" but it is not to be inferred from this that he was then far advanced in years, as all his children were at that time under age, his eldest son being then only nine years old. If born in 1721, he would be then fifty-three. He married Jean Baillie, by whom he had four children, Alexander, Helen, John, and William.

By a deed of nomination and settlement, dated 22nd April, 1774, William Baird appointed his brothers "John Baird in Kirkwood, and Robert Baird in High Cross," along with his wife, Jean Baillie, and two others, to be tutors and curators to his children. Power is given to his wife, if the other curators shall consent, to continue in the possession of the farm, she paying the rent, and maintaining and clothing the children. But if the other curators shall "find her management" not for the behove and good of the said children, but rather "tending to their hurt and loss," they are to have the power of removing her from the possession-they providing her, in that case, with a dwelling house and furniture; and they also giving her a cow, and maintaining the same, summer and winter, during her widowhood. If she shall enter into a second marriage, she is to be paid 200 merks. Jean Baillie accepts of these provisions in full of her legal rights, and signs the deed along with her husband. This Jean Baillie was a strong-minded and self-willed woman, and she and her two younger sons had the reputation of being inclined to Radicalism -a political creed not then much in vogue, but which not long afterwards obtained unhappily many followers in the manufacturing centres.

William Baird, her husband, died at High Cross. The date of his death does not appear, but it was probably not long after the date of the deed of 1774, in which he describes himself as being in "a tender and infirm state." He must have died, at all events, not later than 1785, as the papers show that his son Alexander had then entered on the possession of the farm.

Of Alexander Baird, his eldest son, presently. The daughter Helen, the second child, married Hart. They left no issue. John Baird, the second son of William, lived a good deal about Cuparhead and Kirkwood. In July, 1800, he appears to have become tenant, by subset from his brother Alexander, of the lands of Souterhouse, in the parish of Old Monkland, of which Alexander had just acquired a lease from Mr. Lawson. This John Baird married his cousin, Elizabeth Smellie, daughter of Thomas Smellie of Newarthill, by whom he had six sons and four daughters -viz. , William, John, Janet, Thomas, Robert, Alexander, Helen, Elizabeth, Jean, and James. Of these William, Thomas, and Robert died without issue. Alexander was drowned at New York. He left two children, Helen and Alexander. The other children of John Baird are in Canada. Janet married William Colines or Collings. He died before 1863, leaving no issue. Elizabeth married Thomas Convay, and has issue. Jean married Thomas Russell, who died a few years ago leaving issue. William, the third son of William Baird, was a cabinet- maker in Glasgow. He died unmarried.

Alexander Baird

Alexander Baird 4th Generation

To return to Alexander, the eldest son of William. He was born at Woodhead 12th of May, 1765. The annexed portrait is from a picture at Strichen, copied by Mr. Munro of Glasgow from an original painting at Lochwood. Although Alexander, in his youth, had been subjected to the same hard labour as was afterwards kept up on his farm, he received a good education at the parish school of Old Monkland, under an excellent teacher Harry Peat, for whom he always retained an affectionate regard. He had many stories to tell of his school-days, and of his old school master, and how he kept at the top of his class. He was a good writer, and his ability in figures was far beyond any of his compeers of that day. He could make mental calculations to almost any amount, and among his companions he stood alone as an expert in figures. In the year 1785, when he was only twenty years of age, he became sub-tenant of the lands of Woodhead in room of his father, under a tack from his uncle John. The tack is dated 19th January, 1791, but it bears that his entry had begun to the arable lands at Martinmas, 1785, from which date John Baird grants him a lease for nineteen years. The rent stipulated was £30, and to carry six carts of coals from the heugh to Rosehall House yearly.

In August, 1794, after his entry to Woodhead, Alexander Baird married Jean Moffat, daughter of James Moffat, some time in Airdrie, afterwards in Whitburn, by Janet Craig his second wife. James Moffat had also three sons by his marriage with Janet Craig-viz., James, Robert, and John. All these three were in the Scots Greys, and James was at the siege of Dunkirk. John and James died without issue. Robert was twice married, and had issue by both wives. His eldest son (Robert) was employed in connection with the works at Gartsherrie, and died at Palace Craig.
James Moffat's first wife was Elizabeth M'Gowan, by whom he left three children, William, Alexander, and Mary. Alexander Baird and his wife, Jean Moffat, continued to live at Woodhead till 1798, and their eldest child, Janet (Mrs. Whitelaw, now Mrs. Weir), and their sons William and John, were born there. Mrs. Weir has an old chair, having the initials A. B. carved on it, which belonged to Janet Craig, her grandmother.

Houses at Woodhead
Woodhead

Of the farm house of Woodhead no, vestige now remains. The accompanying plate is a restored view of it from a sketch and detailed description supplied by Mr. James Baird, representing it as he recollects it. As already mentioned, John Baird-"Old Kirkwood," as he was called in the family-executed a settlement on the 10th of August, 1798, in favour of his wife and daughter Elizabeth. On the 27th of the same month he executed a sub-tack of all his farms in favour of his nephew Alexander.

After referring to his lease from Mr. Hamilton of Orbiston, the deed proceeds on the narrative, "that from my present " declining state of health and advanced age, and having no " son to succeed me, it is inconvenient and very troublesome " for me to manage a farm; and that Alexander Baird, " farmer in Woodhead, my nephew, has agreed to pay me "three hundred pounds sterling for my improvements, and the benefit of the said tack for the remaining years thereof to run;" therefore he subsets to Alexander Baird the lands of Kirkwood, High Cross, Woodhead, Waukmill, and Luggie Bridge-end, and that for the space of six years, being the unexpired period of the lease. The rent stipulated is £105, the same as in the principal tack, and there is a clause reserving existing subsets, with right to Alexander Baird to draw the rents from them. The sum of £300 was a large amount to pay in these times for the short period of only six years of the lease to run.

Alexander was then himself the sub-tenant in Woodhead, and probably in High Cross also. Robert Baird had been previously sub-tenant in the last-named farm; but in 1798, when the above deed was executed, Robert was in Woodend on the estate of Gartsherrie.